Google Branded Touch Chromebook: a Shot in the Arm for Chrome OS

Not long ago, somebody was making fun of the fact that there aren’t touch-enabled MacBooks on the market yet. The appearance of so many Windows 8 hybrids and powerful tablets on the market has effects on the Google camp, as well. Rumor has it that Google might be working on releasing a touch version of Chromebook. And the most interesting part is that Google wants to do it on their own, without any help from Acer or Samsung.

How far seems the moment when we were talking about the first leak relating to a Chrome OS notebook. Since then, Chromebooks have evolved quite a bit and have become a threat, albeit minor, both to tablets and notebooks. The cheapest model comes from Acer and sells for $199 with an Intel chip. The latest Chromebook is made by Samsung and is based on the ARM architecture and it costs $249.

A Google branded touch Chromebook

Chromebook doesn’t seem like such a bad concept, after all, and if you remember, even Sony was at one moment interested to release a Vaio version of Chromebook. Many people disconsider buying a Chromebook right from the start because they think it can’t be used offline. We’ve proved that to be wrong. And Google doesn’t quit its plans on Chromebook but actually wants to take control of the hardware part, as well. If this rumor turns out to be true, then Google shouldn’t be perceived no more like a services company.

One would think that in a world where there is a plethora of tablets, smartphones, laptops, netbooks, computers and other intelligent devices, there’s no place for such a product like the Chromebook. But, with a big bet on the attractive price and the power of the cloud, Google hopes to prove us wrong. To make Chromebooks more appealing, the behemoth company wants to add another feature that could hopefully increase sales – the touchscreen.

As we speak, according to speculations, works on a touch-enabled Chromebook are already ongoing and we even have a possible release time: Q1 of 2013. And we also have a possible screen size – 12.85 inch. Could Google launch the touch Chromebook at CES, this January? Since buying Motorola, Google hasn’t done much to have its own supply chain and to release Google-branded products. Correct me if I’m wrong, but at the moment, Nexus Q is the single product released only under the Google name.

Can Chromebooks become more than just an experiment?

When you have partners, you have to share with them – this means less revenue for Google. With this move, the Mountain View company is looking to “get rid” of them and to benefit directly from the sales. Even if the sales for this product aren’t quite cheering, like I said, this doesn’t make Google abandon the plans. We’ve also reported about the Chromebox – a miniPC version of the Chromebook with an attractive price, as well.

Google is just playing along with the market, probably being stimulated by Microsoft’s actions of getting more serious in the hardware market. But Google has gained a lot of hardware experience, as well. You can understand that just by looking at the products where Google has been the key partner, besides the Chromebooks:

Even if Google didn’t make these products, it’s obvious that they analyzed every step of the production and have learned a lot. And it’s only natural that, in time, they’ll become independent. And Google might try to join the big league quite soon. A touch-enabled Chromebook could be released under the hybrid form, and with the right price, it could do wonders. And allow me to think that a dual boot with Android would be a brilliant idea, since you’d be using the touch feature much more in Android than in Chrome OS.

Chromebook for Google can be considered an experiment, because it doesn’t bring too much money to them, but now, they have the chance to turn the tables. And if we take the rumors for granted just for a few seconds, the fact that Google has allegedly ordered 20 million units to be produced is no joke. But expect the price to rise up a bit, since touch panels don’t come in cheap. But how much would you be willing to pay for a hybrid, touch-enabled Chromebook?